The present invention relates generally to MOSFET transistors and more generally to DMOS transistors having a trench structure.
DMOS (Double diffused MOS) transistors are a type of MOSFET (Metal On Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) that use two sequential diffusion steps aligned to the same edge to form the transistor regions. DMOS transistors are typically employed as power transistors to provide high voltage, high current devices for power integrated circuit applications. DMOS transistors provide higher current per unit area when low forward voltage drops are required.
A typical discrete DMOS circuit includes two or more individual DMOS transistor cells which are fabricated in parallel. The individual DMOS transistor cells share a common drain contact (the substrate), while their sources are all shorted together with metal and their gates are shorted together by polysilicon. Thus, even though the discrete DMOS circuit is constructed from a matrix of smaller transistors, it behaves as if it were a single large transistor. For a discrete DMOS circuit it is desirable to maximize the conductivity per unit area when the transistor matrix is turned on by the gate.
One particular type of DMOS transistor is a so-called trench DMOS transistor in which the channel is formed vertically and the gate is formed in a trench extending between the source and drain. The trench, which is lined with a thin oxide layer and filled with polysilicon, allows less constricted current flow and thereby provides lower values of specific on-resistance. Examples of trench DMOS transistors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,072,266, 5,541,425, and 5,866,931.
One example is the low voltage prior art trenched DMOS transistor shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, trenched DMOS transistor 10 includes heavily doped substrate 11, upon which is formed an epitaxial layer 12, which is more lightly doped than substrate 11. Metallic layer 13 is formed on the bottom of substrate 11, allowing an electrical contact 14 to be made to substrate 11. As is known to those of ordinary skill in the art, DMOS transistors also include source regions 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d, and body regions 15a and 15b. Epitaxial region 12 serves as the drain. In the example shown in FIG. 1, substrate 11 is relatively highly doped with N-type dopants, epitaxial layer 12 is relatively lightly doped with N type dopants, source regions 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d are relatively highly doped with N type dopants, and body regions 15a and 15b are relatively highly doped with P type dopants. A doped polycrystalline silicon gate electrode 18 is formed within a trench, and is electrically insulated from other regions by gate dielectric layer 17 formed on the bottom and sides of the trench containing gate electrode 18. The trench extends into the heavily doped substrate 11 to reduce any resistance caused by the flow of carriers through the lightly doped epitaxial layer 12, but this structure also limits the drain-to-source breakdown voltage of the transistor. A drain electrode 14 is connected to the back surface of the substrate 11, a source electrode 22 is connected to the source regions 16 and the body regions 15, and a gate electrode 19 is connected to the polysilicon 18 that fills the trench.
Another example of a trenched DMOS device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,160 and shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, trenched DMOS device 30 includes metallic substrate electrode 13, substrate 11, epitaxial region 12, body regions 15a and 15b, and source regions 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d. However, in comparison to the device shown in FIG. 1, N+ region 39 is added along the lower sides and bottom of trench 36, or alternatively just along the bottom of trench 36. This structure improves the device performance by allowing carriers to flow through a heavily doped region at the bottom of the trench, thereby reducing the local resistance.
It would be desirable to provide further improvements to trenched DMOS devices. For example, there is a need for a trenched DMOS device that provides a low on-resistance and which is relatively simple and inexpensive to fabricate.
In accordance with the present invention, a semiconductor device includes a first region of semiconductor material, which is doped to a first concentration with a dopant of a first conductivity type. A gate trench formed within the first region has sides and a bottom. A drain access trench is also formed within the first region, which also has sides and a bottom. A second region of semiconductor material is located within the first region and adjacent to and near the bottom of the gate trench. The second region extends to a location adjacent to and near the bottom of the drain access trench. The second region is of the first conductivity type and has a higher dopant concentration than the first region. A gate electrode is formed within the gate trench. A layer of gate dielectric material insulates the gate electrode from the first and second regions. A drain region of semiconductor material is located within the drain access trench. The drain region is of a first conductivity type and has a higher dopant concentration than the first region. A source region is formed on the surface of the first semiconductor region and a body region is formed within the first region beneath the source region. The body region has a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type.